DePaul Welcomes No. 1-Ranked Notre Dame
9/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S SOCCER
CHICAGO- The DePaul women’s soccer team opens conference play at home this Friday against BIG EAST foe and No. 1-ranked Notre Dame. The Blue Demons start the 2008 BIG EAST campaign with two home matches, hosting the Fighting Irish this week and the Bearcats next week, before traveling to Louisville Sunday. The contest with Notre Dame at Wish Field is set for 4 p.m. this Friday.
Noting the Blue Demons: The Blue Demons return 16 players and add 12 newcomers for the 2008 regular season... senior Shannon Williams returns as the top scorer... she led the team with 16 points, seven goals and two assists in 2007... sophomores Callie Hemming and Tara Strickland combined for five goals and three assists last season... with a goal against Northwestern, Williams moved into a tie for ninth all-time with nine goals and tie for ninth all-time with 21 points (9G/3A)... her third assist came in the season opener... Strickland leads the Blue Demons through six games with six points on two goals and two assists... nine different players have tallied at least one goal this season... the eight goals in last three matches are highest three-game total since 11 in Oct. 2004... the Blue Demons have had four consecutive games with two or more goals twice (2001, 2004)... the 0-5 start to begin the 2008 season marks the third time in team history with a season-opening five straight defeats (1996, 1997)... since 2002 the Blue Demons are 26-25-3 in matches at Wish Field... head coach Erin Chastain is in her second season at DePaul... 2008 is the 13th season of women’s soccer at DePaul University.
Scouting Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish stand undefeated at 6-0-0 after knocking off SMU last Friday, 5-0... Notre Dame has only allowed one goal all season and has out-scored opponents 22-1... senior All-American and Hermann Trophy candidate Kerri Hanks leads the team with 12 points and five goals this season... Notre Dame was picked to finish first in the National Division of the BIG EAST preseason poll... head coach Randy Waldrum is in his 10th season as head coach of the Fighting Irish. The Series: Friday is the fourth meeting between the two programs... the Fighting Irish have won all three previous meetings, including a 4-0 win on Sept. 21, 2007 in South Bend.
Looking Ahead: The Blue Demons play the first of 11 BIG EAST games this Friday. DePaul takes on Notre Dame at Wish Field on Sept. 19 before hosting Cincinnati on Sept. 26. After a swing to Louisville on Sept. 28 the Blue Demons invite Marquette and USF to Chicago to begin the month of October. The team concludes the regular season with trips to Villanova, Georgetown, Connecticut and Providence before closing it with home contests against Seton Hall and Rutgers. The Blue Demons are scheduled to play six of their 11 conference games at Wish Field.
Preseason Picks: The Blue Demons were picked to finish eighth in the National Division of the BIG EAST preseason poll. Notre Dame was selected to finish first in the National Division while West Virginia received the top spot in the American Division. Notre Dame’s Brittany Bock was the selection for Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Villanova’s Kelly Eagan was named the Defensive Player of the Year. The Goalkeeper of the Year was Stephanie Labbe of Connecticut.
2008 BIG EAST Championship: The semifinals and championship of the 2008 BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Championship will be Nov. 7 and 9 at Notre Dame’s Alumni Field. The first round and quarterfinal matches will be hosted by the higher-seeded team on Oct. 30 and Nov. 2. The champion receives the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship. CBS College Sports Network will broadcast the semifinal and championship matches.